Cot Maintenance

One of the most frequent and sometimes severe, Professional Healthcare Liability claims is as a result of patient drops from cots. These claims generally fall into two major categories, mechanical failure and human error.

The performance and reliability of wheeled EMS cots is important to the reduction of liability exposure related to patient drops caused by equipment failure. During the survey it was determined that for general maintenance and repairs of wheeled EMS cots is performed by a member of your organization.  However, manufacturers of the most of the cots in use in the emergency services have very stringent inspection and routine maintenance requirements, which may not be met by the current service frequency.

Your organization should refer to the manufacturer’s specifications to determine the proper level of service required.  In addition, it is recommended that you designate a person(s) to become familiar with the specific inspection and maintenance requirements for the wheeled cots.  Once the appropriate maintenance schedule is determined, the schedule should be compared to the current frequency of service and evaluate its appropriateness.  The manufacturer’s service instructions should be used exclusively to guide the inspection and maintenance process.

By maintaining your patient handling equipment in the appropriate manner, your organization will greatly reduce one of the two primary causes of patient drops.